The present invention relates to a poke-through floor fitting to enable access to both electrical outlets and telecommunication connections. More specifically, the present invention relates to a fire-rated poke-through floor fitting having thermal links, or fuses, within electrical wires to prevent the transfer of heat through the fitting.
Typically, fire-rated poke-through fittings provide a floor receptacle for electrical outlets and/or for telecommunication access. Generally, these poke-through fittings are mounted in a core-drilled, approximately three or four inch diameter hole, which is commonly formed in a concrete floor.
Prior art fittings can prove hazardous if heat is easily transmitted through the fitting, thus permitting heat from a fire to be transmitted through floors of a building. This problem has become more difficult in the last several years as additional conductors, for power and communications including voice and data, are used in poke-through fittings. Since the number of electrically and thermally conductive conductors used in these fittings has increased, the heat transfer through the fitting has increased to undesirable levels.
Examples of prior art fittings are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,643 to Castellani et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,724 to Shine; U.S. Pat. No. 5,008,491 to Bowman; U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,434 to Wuertz et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,930 to Wuertz; U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,278 to Wuertz; U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,128 to Wuertz; U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,131 to Wuertz; U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,594 to Wuertz; U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,204 to Wuertz; U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,416 to Goodsell; U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,835 to Ehrenfels; U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,103 to Wuertz; U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,790 to Spencer; U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,668 to Payne; U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,266 to Sanner; U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,542 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,826 to Castellani et al.; U.S. Pat. No. and U.S. Pat. No.4,583,799 to Wiley the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved poke-through floor fitting.
Another object of this invention is to provide a floor fitting capable of limiting the transfer of heat through electrical conductors and allowing the use of numerous electrically and thermally conductive conductors for numerous power and communications outlets in the fitting.
The foregoing objects are basically obtained by providing a fitting for being positioned between surfaces, comprising an electrical outlet; a main portion coupled to the electrical outlet and extending away from the outlet; and an electrical conductor coupled to the outlet and extending from the outlet and along the main portion, the electrical conductor having a first portion, a second portion, and a thermally activated fuse element positioned between the first and second portions, the fuse element conducting electricity and heat in an operating position and prohibiting the flow of electricity and heat in an open position.
Other objects, advantages, and salient features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the invention.